Etherchain, Book 1: Lost in Infinity
by Awe Striker Nova
Summary: When a young human wakes up without memories in a hotel suite, he is thrust into the unknown by beings he recognizes as fiction... but why?   Includes elements from Touhou, FiM, and a lot of other stuff.
1. Foreword

Etherchain, Book 1: Lost in Infinity

Foreword

These are the chronicles of the semi-official Head Agent of Etherchain, the one known as the Lost Avatar, as penned by the Agent in question, and including inserts from my communications with the other Watchers of the Multiverse. I have chosen not to reveal my own identity here, but should it be revealed within the pages of his book, so be it.

It is highly likely that this document will appear in some form or another in a multiverse that is not my own; should you be from such a place, know that the events contained in these pages are indeed real, but will most likely not have any effect on your plane of reality, and feel free to enjoy them as you would any other text. I am certain my prized student will, once she receives a copy of the finished book.

-Watcher "Celes"

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><p>Author's Foreword:<p>

This is the beginning of a rather unique project. This is a crossover that can and most likely will include just about everything (although I'd need to do some research before I include, say, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha), although _Touhou Project_ will be a significant influence the whole way through, and the first arc includes a lot of characters from both Touhou and _My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic_. Needless to say, I don't have the rights to any existing series or work that appears in the Etherchain series (should it become a series). That, however, doesn't stop me from writing it, or making up entire settings and mechanics.

I was _going _to have the main character be somewhat customizable, but apparently that's not allowed. Oh, well. I'll random up a hero, I guess. I've spent enough time planning the main character as a blank that now I can't bring myself to fill them in.

Feel free to guess at the identity of Celes, or any Watcher that appears.


	2. Intermission 0: Plans Laid Forth

Etherchain, Book 1: Lost in Infinity

Interlude 0

Plans Laid Forth

"...You're certain that used to be him?"

The Witch's voice sounded loud and clear through the conference space, in disbelief, but at the same time. A second voice spoke, answering her.

"Yes, Emerald, I am. According to the hotel's logs, that room has been occupied since slightly before that incident, which matches perfectly with the time the group he was with checked in. Furthermore, there is a faint tie between my Domain and the human resting in that room now."

"Did Shield tell you why?"

"He did. The human that _used_ to be a great hero is on the verge of oblivion. The second night he was there, something attacked him. He went into a coma, never recovering, as his identity was slowly stripped away from him."

"Urh. It burns me up that someone would do that! The culprit is playing You Get To Die ASAP, if I have anything to say about it. Can I host?"

"If we find him, absolutely."

"Excellent..."

Emerald laughed in triumph. Rin, however, wasn't going to end the conversation just yet.

"Is the Justice available?"

"Huh?"

"Is the Justice available?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I can reclaim the existence. He won't return, but enough of him will carry over that an adequate replacement will form from the remnants of his existence. I want that replacement to be the Head Agent of our organization."

"Head Agent? You can make a position just like that?"

"Indeed I can. But the reason I asked was so that I could have her be an interim mentor. All of his experience won't transfer, so someone will need to help his replacement adjust."

"Ah, gotcha. But then, what does she have do with all this?"

Emerald pointed at me.

"I intend to send them to her Domain first," answered Rin.

"Why, exactly? That doesn't seem like the kind of place that would need an Agent deployed there."

"You really expect me to take someone essentially completely new to combat and throw them into the thick of danger?"

"Fair point. But seriously, what could happen?"

"I honestly don't expect much will, but if 'the replacement' is going to be given authority, he should know the others. Also... let's say I have a hunch."

I decided to cut in at this point. "And there _is_ an Agent at my command."

"What, _seriously_?" Emerald made no attempt to hide her shock. "I heard the average important resident of your Domain has _way_ less power than you do, not to mention no combat experience! How do you have one?"

"I would be willing to discuss that a little later, Emerald. And, Rin, I would be pleased to have him... or her, if I understand what you're going to do correctly."

"Fine, the Justice can go with the 'replacement'. You said you already have a codename in mind, Rin?"

"I did. 'Lost Avatar'."

"Even though they technically no longer exist?"

"He shall be the last one, and bear their name as a badge of honor."

"Makes sense. I'll let the Justice know." With that, Emerald left, presumably waking up.

"Well, meeting adjourned. I'm going to go call in a few favors and act on my knowledge. Oh, yes. Celes?"

"Yes?"

"Don't pick them up. It won't be any fun that way."

"I'll be sure not to." _Not _me, _anyway._

"Thank you. Oh, by the way... where's your sister?"

"Holding court."

"At such a late hour? Well, I suppose it makes sense. It would have been nice to have her around some time ago..."

"You'll have to tell me why later."

"Don't worry, I will."

"'Bye now."

The conference ended.


	3. Chapter 1: The Terror of Almost Death

Etherchain, Book 1: Lost in Infinity

Chapter 1

The Terror of Almost Death

I should probably start at the beginning.

When I woke up that day, there was darkness, stretching all around for an indeterminable distance. Nothing could be seen, not even my own hand, even though I could feel it was there. Was I blind or something?

I was promptly slapped on the back of my head and instinctively turned that way. My eyes - did I still have eyes? - were met by golden ones belonging to a young-looking woman wearing a mostly white outfit. I got the distinct feeling this was not the way she looked like, if she was real.

"Follow my instructions if you want to live."

Her voice was a bit distant, but dripping with wisdom. I wanted to ask her what they were, but I couldn't feel my mouth anywhere. She continued as if she knew I couldn't speak.

"You are about to cease existing. To avert your fate, simply focus on yourself. Who are you? Think of this, and you will assert your own reality."

What? That didn't make much sense. I didn't have phenomenal cosmic power, but if how close this girl was standing next to me was any indication, I sure had an itty-bitty living space. For some reason I knew those two things, in those exact words, fit each other, but not, at the time, why.

Nonetheless, I began to focus. I couldn't remember a whole lot, so I just filled in some of the details myself. I had a feeling I'd see the girl again later. She urged me to keep going, right when I started to lose focus, as if she could somehow tell. It felt like hours, thinking about what little of myself I had, and what I'd simply made up. But eventually, she said...

"That's enough."

"Who are you?" I asked her, now that I had a voice. "Is this real?"

She seemed slightly disappointed, as if she was expecting me to say something else. "Just because this has all been in your mind doesn't mean it isn't real."

"All in my mind? Then what happened?"

"Wake up, and you will understand."

She vanished, retreating into a roughly eye-shaped hole that appeared for a split second. There was a bright light...

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><p>Author's Notes:<p>

Sorry this chapter is so short. I suppose I should have combined this with Chapter 2 once I had that finished, but this is the first thing I've ever felt like I could publish and I wanted to get it out there. My previous project (a MLP/Rosenkreuzstilette* crossover called Blade Sparks) never really got off the ground, as it were, whereas with this I actually have some idea of what's going to happen.

*If you've ever heard of this, I salute you. If you haven't, and you like Mega Man, check it out, please. I don't own that either (it is the intellectual property of [erka:es]), but it's good.


	4. Chapter 2: Welcome to Hotel Existentia

Etherchain, Book 1: Lost in Infinity

Chapter 2

Welcome to the Hotel Existentia

My eyes opened, and I realized I had in fact been asleep. Had what just happened been all a dream? The girl said it had all been in my head, but what did that mean? I certainly felt like I existed, if the fury of my stomach was any indication. Maybe it was a premonition, and I'd need to remember and focus on myself to combat an actual threat to my very existence.

"Ah, good. It worked."

I sat up and turned to the left, and I was now looking into the face of that same girl from the dream-vision-thing. I gave a startled shout and fell out of the bed.

"Hmhmhm, so this the realization of your focus. I've got to say, I'm a little surprised. I didn't think you were that type."

"What type?"

She chuckled. "I'll let you see for yourself a little later."

"So what is this place?"

"It's your hotel room. Apparently they need enough medical staff around-the-clock here that no one bothers to report someone that's been comatose for a year."

I looked around. It was indeed a hotel room. One bed, unmade, thanks to my having just gotten out of it, a window that revealed a bustling city, viewed from high above its streets, a set of shelves with a TV...

"...so I've been asleep for a year in a hotel I don't remember checking into? How has no one noticed?"

"Oh, just the usual for this planet - alien invasions, rogue mutant attacks, collateral damage."

"Collateral damage? From _what_?"

"Perchance you've heard of someone calling himself Iron Man?"

"Not particularly, but I think I can see what you're getting at." 'Iron Man' sounded like a superhero's name. Superheroes have a tendency to attract trouble to themselves - trouble that usually never gets resolved without colossal amounts of property damage. They _also _inexplicably attract other superheroes, which attracts _more_ trouble... and so on. My memories may have been erased, but my knowledge seemed to be at least somewhat intact, especially about all things media. "So, we should get to someplace safer to have a talk then?"

She laughed again. "I'm not going to let you leave before you get a good look at yourself. Go on~" I could almost hear the tilde at the end of that. Truly uncanny.

As expected of the average hotel room, there was a small bathroom attached to the "bedroom". It looked... kind of how you'd expect a normal hotel bathroom to look like, with the little shampoo bottles and plastic cups so you can get a drink of water.

Of course, it also had a mirror. That was the important bit.

My reflection was wearing an unadorned deep blue shirt. His hair was not-quite-blonde, not-quite-brown, barely hanging over the forehead in the front. His face was clean-shaven, a feat that I have found impossible to replicate completely, and his eyes... what color _was_ that? Blue... no, green... no, blue... argh, I couldn't decide. No, I _still_ can't decide. Of course, that meant I had all that, too, including the ever-so-slightly tanned skin.

But something else struck me at that moment. That girl looked like a video game character. I wasn't sure which one, but it was definitely there. The possibility that my brain had constructed a multiple-layered dream was definitely there, but why would it fake memory loss?

Eh. I'd deal with it later.

As I emerged from the bathroom, the girl spoke up, saying, "Oh, by the way, I brought you a present from someone. I've left it just over there."

In one of the corners of the room was a gigantic bag. It looked extremely heavy, and despite the fact that it was larger than I am, it looked like it could fit more stuff into it. I pointed at it. "Uh, is that it?" I asked.

"Yes. Go on, open it up." She rested her umbrella on her shoulder. I didn't notice she had an umbrella, but there it was.

Cautiously, I walked back across the small, beige-walled room to open up the bag. It looked like something Santa Claus would use, except that it was made of leather. While undoing the drawstring, I immediately noticed that the bag was jam-packed with coins, barely any of which looked like they were from the United States. I knew more about U.S. coins than those of any other country, so I guess that's where I'm from originally.

"Girl?"

"You remember less than I thought. Call me Yukari. But yes?"

"Who knows me and has this much money?"

"She's a mutual acquaintance of ours. Check the tag."

The tag, which I had only just now noticed, bore a couple of unreadable Asian characters - probably Chinese or Japanese. It read simply, 'I heard you might need this. -小町'. Come to think of it, most likely Japanese, seeing that 'Yukari' sounded like a name that belonged to a Japanese high school student (probably more than one). The problem was that there were _way_ too many different kinds of coins in the bag for it to have been from anyone that wasn't a coin collector, but there were enough duplicates in it to make that an implausibility.

Who was this girl? She looked like a video game character, she knew someone that was apparently rich in upwards of 30 countries' currencies...

"Think fast."

Yukari tossed some sort of short rod at me.

Boom. Headshot.

It wasn't that serious, but considering it was a blunt metal object, it hurt quite a bit. I picked up the offending bar and examined it. It looked like a very slim lightsaber handle.

Was I a Jedi in my past life or something?

No, that couldn't have been it. This thing had too many dials and switches for it to be a lightsaber. And that hand guard looked a whole lot like a pistol trigger...

As if on cue, the device shifted around its mechanisms until it was a pistol. A fair amount had been ejected from it somehow, and fell to the floor, forming an identical one. Mysterious forces were clearly in play here.

"Oh what now, are they going to turn into some big fancy rifle thing?"

They did indeed turn into a big fancy rifle. It, too, was larger than I am.

"It's good to see that still works. Ms. Kawashiro will be most pleased, as will another of my associates."

That was it. I'd had enough games for one morning, and I wanted answers.

"I'll only ask this once - Who. Are. You? Don't play games with me, miss."

"I am _Yakumo, Yukari,_ Magical Being - or 'Youkai' - of Boundaries, Watcher of the Illusionary Worlds, and a representative of Etherchain."

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><p>I forgot this one was done. I know I'm a little terse, and I should work on that, but work with me here. If you have any suggestions for me, please speak up. The review function is there for a reason you know. How else am I supposed to know how I'm doing?<p>

Sorry for the lack of ponies still - they'll be in Chapter 4, I promise. Or maybe even an Interlude.


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